


i learned that love tastes good

by andtimestoodstill



Series: i swear to god the devil made me do it [6]
Category: Raven Cycle - Maggie Stiefvater
Genre: 5+1 Things, Adam Parrish Has No Chill, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe- No Supernatural, Gratuitous use of italics, M/M, POV Adam, Pining, adam parrish swears a lot, guess who has self control when writing pynch now, he's also v thirsty, he's into ronan's brain and his face, more reasonable use of parentheses, still self indulgent as hell
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-01
Updated: 2019-09-01
Packaged: 2020-10-04 18:42:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,708
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20475752
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/andtimestoodstill/pseuds/andtimestoodstill
Summary: “Lynch!” Gansey cheered. Adam looked up at the change in his tone, eyes cutting over to the object of Gansey’s delight. The boy to Adam’s right was a little taller than him, with dark hair cropped close to his head, and high cheekbones that Adam thought might cut him. He looked over at Adam, icy blue eyes appraising Adam up and down. Adam’s breath caught in his throat.Shit.“Ronan Lynch,” he said, holding out one hand to shake.Adam paused, recognizing the name immediately. He almost kicked himself for missing it before. Ronan Lynch was Gansey’s roommate. His best friend of five years. And he was the most attractive man Adam had ever seen.Shit.(Or, Five Times Adam Parrish Wants to Jump Ronan Lynch's Bones, and One Time he Just Wants to Hold his Hand)





	i learned that love tastes good

**Author's Note:**

> Title taken from [here.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yiGEJy_mkvo)

Adam Parrish may have loved his best friend, and roommate, Blue Sargent, but that doesn’t mean that he wasn’t incredibly annoyed with her at the moment. As he rode the train to the Upper East Side, he mulled over the events that had led to this disastrous choice.

“Please?” Blue asked, leaning over the back of the couch, her arms wrapped around Adam’s shoulders. She smelled like gardenias, most likely some kind of essential oil dabbed on to her wrists and behind her ears. “I don’t want to go alone.”

Adam, his Thermo textbook balanced in his lap sighed. “You won't be alone; your boyfriend is going to be there.”

Blue came around the couch and flopped down on the cushion next to him. She blew her bands out of her eyes with a huff. “C’mon, you know how the Columbians get around Gansey.”

Adam _did_ know how his classmates worshipped the ground that Gansey walked upon. Before Gansey and Blue had started dating, Adam had heard stories about the great Richard Campbell Gansey III. “I’m already in my comfy clothes,” Adam said, but he closed his textbook soundly. “You owe me so big for this.”

“Thank you,” she grinned, smacking a kiss on to his cheek. “Now get dressed, I don’t want you to embarrass me.”

Adam stood, leaving his textbook on the coffee table. “Embarrass _you_?” he laughed. “They’re _my_ classmates.” Adam disappeared into his room; the door left mostly ajar as he got ready. He pulled on a clean pair of jeans (one of the nicer ones he owned, found by Blue at the Goodwill a few blocks away) and a soft white t-shirt.

“Yeah, but you don’t care about impressing them.” Blue came around the open door to check on his progress. “Oh, those jeans look so good on you.”

“You have a boyfriend, Blue.” Adam checked on his hair in the mirror, running a hand through it in vain. He hoped it was more _I’m too cool to care_ and less _I fell asleep on the couch while watching _Criminal Minds.

“Doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate attractive things. Stop messing with your hair and let’s go.”

Adam sighed, resigned, and grabbed his jacket. “Fine.”

The train was packed, and the two of them had to stand shoulder-to-shoulder (well, shoulder-to-rib) as the train rumbled along. Adam immediately regretted agreeing to go to this party, and that feeling only grew as the two of them were buzzed up into Henry’s apartment, and then even more so as Adam began to recognize some of the partygoers.

“I’m leaving,” he whispered, spinning on one heel as Tad Carruthers tried to catch Adam’s eye from across the room.

Blue grabbed Adam’s arm, she wasn’t strong enough to physically keep him from leaving, but the tightening of her fingers around his bicep was enough to still Adam’s movements. “Please, one hour.”

Adam’s face twisted up in annoyance. “Fine. _One_ hour.”

Blue beamed and dragged Adam towards the kitchen. “Let’s find Gansey.”

Despite Blue’s determination, Adam didn’t make it to the kitchen, Tad stepping in their way. “Adam!” he smiled brightly, perfect teeth flashing even in the dark of the room.

“Tad,” Adam tried to step around the smiling brunet, Blue slipping into the crowd and out of sight. “Excu—”

“How did you do on that Thermo exam?”

Adam sighed, resigned. There was no getting away from Tad now. “Fine, I was happy with my score.” He scanned the crowd, looking for someone (anyone) to save him from this fate. He thought he recognized Henry’s spiky hair from across the room, but he was facing away from Adam.

“What did you get?”

“Uh, I don’t—”

“C’mon,” Tad laughed, stepping closer to Adam as someone tried to get around them. “No need to be embarrassed. I got an 82.” Tad preened, quite obviously pleased with himself. Adam glanced up at the ceiling, wishing that the earth would open up and swallow him whole.

“Adam, there you are.” Blue came up on Adam’s deaf side, and he jumped as she nudged his arm. “Sorry,” she glanced at Tad. “Here,” she held out a red plastic cup. Adam took it, trusting Blue to make a screwdriver to his liking. “What are you two talking about?”

“Oh, I was asking Adam what he got on our Thermo exam.”

“Didn’t you get a 100?” Blue asked Adam.

Adam winced and Tad squawked in surprise. “Wow, Adam. Congrats.”

“Thanks,” Adam took a long sip of his drink. “Let’s go find Gan—” Adam was interrupted by Henry, forcing his way into their circle.

“Miss. Sargent, can I borrow you for a minute?” Henry didn’t wait for an answer, grabbing for Blue’s hand and dragging her off.

Adam took a moment to settle himself before looking back at Tad. “I need to—”

“I didn’t even realize you could get a perfect score on one of Whelk’s exams,” Tad started. Adam accepted that being stuck with Tad was his fate, and he turned, pointing his bad ear towards Tad.

Tad went on, happy to fill in all the gaps in conversation. Adam nodded along, eyes scanning the crowd for something interesting to focus on. He could see into the kitchen from where he was standing, Blue was beckoning him over from where she stood near the fridge. She was mouthing something Adam couldn’t make out, but she looked distressed. Adam pushed away from the wall and made his way over to where she was standing.

“Are you okay?”

Blue sipped at her drink. “What? I’m fine.”

“You looked—never mind.” Adam took a long sip his drink.

“I need to pee.”

Adam laughed and took the drink from her hands. “Go, I’ll watch this.”

“Adam!” Gansey beamed, and Adam smiled in return. “I’m so glad you came!” There were a few semi-recognizable faces gathered around Gansey, shooting Adam dirty looks for diverting his attention away from them.

Gansey was already a little tipsy, expression open and amiable. “I was dragged here against my will,” he joked. Adam finished off his drink. “Will you pass me the orange juice?” Adam asked.

“Of course,” Gansey handed over the bottle of juice and then returned his attentions back to his little circle of sycophants.

Adam, being both half deaf and mostly uninterested in Gansey’s retelling of the _Time I Almost Died_, focused on making a new drink.

“Lynch!” Gansey cheered. Adam looked up at the change in his tone, eyes cutting over to the object of Gansey’s delight. The boy to Adam’s right was a little taller than him, with dark hair cropped close to his head, and high cheekbones that Adam thought might cut him. He looked over at Adam, icy blue eyes appraising Adam up and down. Adam’s breath caught in his throat.

_Shit_.

“Ronan Lynch,” he said, holding out one hand to shake.

Adam paused, recognizing the name immediately. He almost kicked himself for missing it before. Ronan Lynch was Gansey’s _roommate_. His best friend of _five years_. And he was _the most attractive man Adam had ever seen_.

_Shit_.

“Adam Parrish,” he responded, reaching out to take Ronan’s hand reluctantly.

“Alright motherfuckers. Let’s get this party fucking started.”

The curse words rolled off Ronan’s tongue like water of a duck’s back. He swore with a musical quality, consonants cutting, vowels full of intent. Adam wondered what other words he could pull from that beautiful, sharp mouth.

_Shit_.

***

Now that Adam and Ronan had met and (mostly) got along, the six of them started to hang out as a group. More often than not, they all met up at Bravo’s Pizza. It was convenient for Adam and Blue, being just a few blocks away from their apartment, and Ronan, Noah, and Henry would follow Gansey anywhere.

On this Friday night, they (minus Ronan, who was working on an assignment at the student design studio) were all crammed into a booth at Bravo’s scrolling through the Instagram of some guy Noah was meeting up with later that night.

“Ew,” Blue sneered, pointing to an extra-pretentious shot.

“Shut up,” Noah grabbed for his phone, embarrassed. “Whatever, he’s hot.”

“But is it worth it?” Blue asked moving the phone closer to her and Adam. “Look at this one.”

Adam glanced down, pushing his pizza to the side to study the photo. “Huh.”

“What?” Noah asked, leaning over the table to look at the image.

“Nothing,” Adam cleared his throat. “I just recognize him is all.”

Blue studied the photo. “Oh my god,” she snorted. “Really, Adam?”

“Whatever,” Adam took a bite of his pizza, glancing up at the confused faces of his friends. “I hooked up with him freshman year,” he said around his food.

Henry gasped, literally slapping a hand over his mouth, to quiet the noise. Gansey looked like a deer in headlights. Noah, looking over at the two of them, rolled his eyes.

“Well, now I can’t hook up with him.” Noah took his phone back and started typing something.

“Don’t worry about it, Noah.” Adam said. “If you wa—”

“Nah,” Noah looked up and smiled at him, shrugging casually. “I think it’s kind of weird, even if you don’t.”

“So, you’re, uh…” Gansey started, twisting a napkin in his hands.

“Bi?” Adam supplied. Gansey nodded.

“Stop being weird, Gans,” Blue laughed.

“Sorry, I just—”

“Don’t worry about it,” Adam shrugged. “I forgot that you guys didn’t—” Adam paused, looking up as the bell over the door rang as it opened, and Ronan stepped through. The collar of his leather jacket turned up against the wind, hands tucked into his pockets. Ronan searched the restaurant for their table, gaze locking with Adam’s from across the room. There was a flash of a smile at Ronan’s lips, an instinctual gesture, but one that made Adam’s heart skip a beat, nonetheless.

_Shit_.

“Know,” Adam finished, clearing his throat and taking a sip of his Coke as Ronan made his way to their table. “Ronan’s here.”

At that, Gansey sat up and turned around, waving Ronan over. Adam moved over on the bench towards Blue, making room for Ronan to slide in. Blue was watching Adam carefully as he did so. “What?” he said lowly.

“Nothing,” she looked up at Ronan as he sat. “Hey, Snake.”

“Maggot. Parrish.” His thigh pressed up against Adam’s on the seat. “Okay Czerny, let’s see this dude.”

Noah blushed, Adam coughed, Blue snorted.

“I’m not meeting up with him anymore,” Noah said at last.

“Why the fuck not? You said he was hot.”

“Uh…” Noah trailed off, looking to Adam, a question in his gaze.

“I hooked up with him freshman year,” Adam said at last.

Ronan paused for a beat. “Well, shit, Parrish. Who knew you were such a cockblock?” Adam snorted and kicked at Ronan’s ankle. Ronan smirked at Adam, and Adam wanted to cut himself on that smile.

_Shit_.

***

Adam Parrish, exhausted after a day of classes and an extra-long shift at the library, was trying to sleep when there was a pounding at the door. He didn’t get out of bed at first, hoping, in vain, that whoever was making the noise would just _leave_. The knocking started up again, and Adam dragged himself out of bed.

Adam did not think that the person on the other side of the door would be Ronan Lynch.

“What the fuck, Lynch?” Adam asked, rubbing at one eye.

“I got off at the wrong stop,” he slurred, wavering slightly on his feet.

“Are you _drunk_?”

“Uh,” Ronan trailed off. “Can I use your bathroom? I have to piss.”

Adam rolled his eyes and stepped aside. “Fine.”

Ronan grumbled something that sounded like a _thank you_ as he pushed past, heading straight to the bathroom. Adam poured himself a glass of water, sipping on it as he waited on Ronan to finish up in the bathroom.

When he exited, Ronan made for the couch, collapsing onto it carelessly. Adam came up to the back of the couch, looking down at him. His eyes were closed, eyebrows drawn together, shoulders tensed. A little bit of the annoyance Adam felt slipped away. “You okay?” Adam asked. Ronan groaned in assent, throwing an arm over his eyes. “You want something to eat?”

Ronan peeked out from behind his arm. “What do you have?”

“Blue brought home some extra pizza from work.” Adam walked to the kitchen and opened up the fridge. “There’s cheese.”

Ronan sat up. “Yeah.”

Adam nodded and popped a few slices in the microwave, not looking back at Ronan until he had the food in hand, brining it out to the living room. He settled next to Ronan on the couch, taking a slice for himself before handing the plate over.

“Thanks,” Ronan murmured.

They ate in silence, just the sounds of chewing and the ambient city noise to fill the void. There was obviously something eating at Ronan, but Adam didn’t want to draw attention to it. For one, Adam was exhausted and was not firing on all cylinders, and two, there was no use trying to get Ronan to do something he didn’t want to do. If Ronan wanted to talk about it, he would.

“It’s the anniversary of my dad’s death.”

Adam’ breath stuttered, but he tried to play it cool. “Oh.”

Ronan was still eating. “He had a heart attack while we were working in one of the barns. I watched him die.”

“Ronan—”

“It really fucked me up.”

“No kidding,” Adam said under his breath. Adam hadn’t meant to say that out loud, but Ronan cracked a smile.

“I told Gansey that I wouldn’t do anything stupid today.” Ronan pushed away the plate of crusts. “I think this is the first time I’ve said that when it wasn’t a lie.”

“Yeah? Is destroying your liver not considered stupid?”

Ronan’s eyes were focused on the ceiling and he slumped back into the couch. “It’s better than getting high. Or street racing. Or street racing while high.”

“Jesus Christ, Lynch.”

“Yeah. Like I said, it fucked me up.” He looked over at Adam, blue eyes full of so much unspoken grief. Adam thought about reaching out to take Ronan’s face in his hands, to smooth away the tension in his features, to hold him close until the disquiet under his skin had settled.

_Shit_.

Adam stood, reaching for the discarded plate. “Hey,” Ronan moved to stop him, and Adam paused. “I got it.” He tried to stand and reach for the plate at the same time, wobbling slightly as he stood.

Adam snorted and stepped away. “You can’t even walk in a straight line right now.” He threw the crusts in the trash and gently placed the plate in the sink.

“I’m always straight,” Ronan scoffed.

Adam came back into the living room, laughing. “Now _that’s_ the biggest lie you’ve ever told.”

***

“Parrish,” Ronan tossed a decorative throw pillow at Adam from where he was sitting on the couch. Adam was spread out across the floor between the coffee table and the TV, Thermo homework laid out before him. Gansey and Blue had already retired for the night, leaving Adam and Ronan alone in Monmouth’s living room.

Adam at up and turned around. “What, Lynch?”

Ronan was sprawled out on the couch, sweatpants riding low on his hips and Adam tried to not focus on the pale strip of skin visible in vain. “You were talking to yourself about your homework; you need to shut up.”

“Whatever,” Adam rolled his eyes, noticing a worn and yellowed book hanging from Ronan’s hand. “What’re you reading?” Adam shuffled closer, reaching out for the book.

“Nothing.” Ronan moved to sit up, taking the book out of Adam’s reach. “I don’t even know how to read.”

Adam, despite himself, laughed. “Seriously, Lynch.” He closed his Thermo textbook and stood, dropping onto the couch next to Ronan.

Ronan reluctantly handed over a copy of _The Aeneid_, the spine cracked, the cover creased. It was obviously well-loved. Adam flipped the book open, sure that after hours of reading from his Thermo textbook that his brain was broken. “What the fuck?”

Ronan took the book back, tossing it to the other side of the couch. “What?”

“Is that in _Latin_?”

“Yeah?” Ronan said, blasé.

“You can_ read _Latin_?_”

“I can speak it, too.” Ronan bit at the bracelets on his wrist.

“What the _fuck_?”

“Are you okay?”

(Adam was not _okay_. Ronan Lynch, former street racer with his sprawling back tattoo and his knife-sharp smile, was _fully literate in a dead language_. Adam was flabbergasted. Speechless)

(A little bit turned on, if he was being totally honest)

“I need to go.” Adam stood, gathering his things, stuffing his books into his backpack.

“What?”

“I’m pretty sure that I’m hallucinating, because there is no way you can _read and write in Latin_.”

Ronan laughed, the sound echoing through the silent apartment. “I did go to prep school,” Ronan reminded him. “Taking Latin was par for the fucking course.”

Adam struggled to fit his Thermo textbook into his backpack. “Yeah, and I took two years of Spanish in high school, that doesn’t mean that I’m fluent in it.”

Ronan scoffed. “You can’t be fluent in a dead language.”

Adam paused, careful not to let the very confusing thoughts circling though his head visible on his face. “I really need to go,” he said voice tight.

“Just stay,” Ronan stood. “It’s late.” Something went unsaid, a confession maybe. “You can have the couch.”

Adam bit at his lip, checking his watch. It was late. And he was tired. “Fine.”

Ronan rolled his eyes, grabbing his book from the other end of the couch. “Whatever. You’re welcome, Parrish.” He tossed a throw blanket Adam’s way.

Adam unfolded the blanket and settled on the couch. Ronan switched off the lamp in the corner, thrusting the room into darkness. “Goodnight, Parrish.” In the dark, Ronan’s voice was softer around the edges, a little less defensive.

Peering up over the back of the couch, Adam watched Ronan idle near the bottom of the stairs, shadows catching across his face, pale skin glowing in the ambient light of the city filtering in through the windows.

(Adam _wanted_)

_Shit_.

“‘Night,” Adam turned away, sinking into the couch, and letting his eyes slip closed.

***

Adam watched as Ronan Lynch ambled through the labyrinth of Ivy League assholes to where he was standing on the far side of the room. Ronan handed over Adam’s screwdriver, and took a sip of his own drink.

“This party sucks,” Ronan said, peering out over the crowd.

“These parties always suck. Why do we keep agreeing to this?”

The answer to this question appeared in the ebb and flow of the crowd. Gansey, settled on the couch, Blue perched on his lap, laughing at something Noah was saying. Ronan looked over at Adam, head pressed against the wall, his long neck curved toward Adam quite enticingly.

_Shit_.

Adam took a long sip of his drink.

“Jesus Christ, Lynch. This is, like, all vodka.”

Ronan shrugged and chuckled darkly. “That’s on you, Parrish. You asked me to get you a drink.”

Adam winced. “Next time remember that I want more juice than hard liquor.”

Ronan shrugged and sipped from his own drink. “Do you think we could sneak out of here?”

“We’d have to tell Mom and Dad,” Adam joked. At the last Columbia party Adam and Ronan were dragged to, the two of them had disappeared (as was pretty usual at this point). The problem was that neither Adam or Ronan had told Gansey that they were leaving, and apparently, he was up all night worrying.

(Blue wasn’t actually worried, but she wasn’t able to placate Gansey either)

“Okay, you go tell them that we’re leaving, I’ll wait out in the hall.”

“Why do I have to tell them?” Adam asked.

“Because I,” Ronan chugged the last of his drink, “am done with my drink. Have fun.”

Ronan slipped away and Adam watched in betrayal. He took another sip of his screwdriver, but it was undrinkable. He made his way to where Gansey and Blue were on the couch. “Hey,” he said, getting her attention. Gansey was listening to what Noah was saying very attentively.

“Hey,” she smiled. “Ooh, what’s that?”

“Mostly vodka, a little bit of orange juice.” He held the cup out to her, and Blue took it gratefully. She took a sip, not visually reacting to the taste. “Ronan and I are leaving.”

Blue rolled her eyes and took another sip. “Of course you are.”

“You know we don’t like these parties; I don’t know why you two keep dragging us to them.”

“Oh,” Blue scoffed. “Like you don’t show up just so that you two can disappear together.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“You _like_ him,” she said low enough that no one would overhear them.

“I do _not_,” Adam said indignantly.

Blue rolled her eyes. “Okay, maybe you don’t have a crush on him, but you do want to jump his bones.”

Adam felt himself blush, but he didn’t give Blue any kind of verbal confirmation. He stood, she laughed. “Whatever. I’m leaving. Let me know when you get home safe.”

“Will do, lover boy.”

Adam rolled his eyes and made his way out of the party. Ronan was leaning against the opposite wall, leather jacket thrown over one arm, eyes trained down on his boots. Adam took a moment to stare, to look his fill, to impress the tilt of Ronan’s neck and the cording of muscle on his arms to his memory.

_Shit_.

“Parrish,” Ronan said, looking up. “Ready?”

Adam nodded, leading the way out of the apartment. Whoever’s party they were at lived in Two Bridges, and Adam could see the familiar silhouette of the Brooklyn Bridge from the street.

“Have you ever walked across it?” Ronan asked.

Adam turned. “No, not really. I met Blue once at the half-way point freshman year.”

Ronan snorted. “That’s cheesy.”

“She lived in Brooklyn, I lived in Manhattan, we were poor. There weren’t a lot of good date options.”

“You dated Sargent?” Ronan asked, shocked.

“I mean, we went on like three dates. We kissed once and she swerved real hard.”

Ronan laughed, he jerked his head and Adam followed after him down the street. The bridge came in and out of view. “Damn, Parrish. You that bad of a kisser?”

Adam scoffed. “No, it was just a peck. She said something about a gut feeling,” Adam shrugged. A breeze blew through, rustling Adam’s hair. It was a warm spring night, there was a hint of summer in the air.

Ronan stopped in front of a trendy-looking gelato store. He cocked one eyebrow at Adam, asking a silent question. Adam led the way into the store, checking out the flavors. They ordered and paid.

“It’s nice out, wanna walk?” Ronan asked, looking out at the bridge. He didn’t meet Adam’s eye.

“Sure,” Adam agreed.

They started to cross the bridge, Adam looked out at the boats floating along the East River and the lights rippling across the water. It was kind of beautiful, in its own way. Adam couldn’t believe that he had been living in Brooklyn for almost a year and he still hadn’t walked across the Brooklyn Bridge.

“Have you ever done this?” Adam asked.

“Mhm,” Ronan said around a mouthful of dark chocolate gelato. “When my mom and little brother came to visit at the beginning of the year. She wanted to walk across.”

“Matthew?”

“Yeah,” Ronan smiled over at Adam. “It was leagues better than your shitty date with Sargent.”

Adam sighed. “Whatever, Lynch. At least I was on a _date_.”

Ronan scoffed. “Fucking _rude_.”

As he swore, the two of them passed a family, a man and a woman with two little girls in tow. The mother shot Ronan a dirty look, but Ronan Lynch was made of Teflon.

“Be civil,” Adam chided as they walked away.

“I’m being _perfectly fucking civil_.”

Adam couldn’t contain the laugh that bubbled out of him. He watched the sharp smile Ronan gave him soften at the edges. Adam wondered what those lips would taste like.

_Shit_.

***

Adam agreed to spend ten days in Virginia the summer before his senior year. Blue had begged him to come with her when she had planned to visit her family. She was staying a full two weeks, but part of that time was going to be spent in DC with the Ganseyes.

Being in Henrietta was a little disquieting, but Adam spent his days at Fox Way, sheltered from all of his terrible memories of his hometown. But there were only so many footy teas and pies Adam could ingest without losing his mind. Ronan had opened up a standing invitation to him and Blue, and Adam had finally taken him up on the offer.

Ronan picked up Adam and Blue early on a Tuesday morning, his shark-like BMW idling on the curb as Adam and Blue meandered down the walk. Adam climbed into the front seat, and Blue sprawled out in the back, immediately falling back asleep.

Glancing up at the rearview mirror, he snorted at Blue’s sleeping figure. “She’s not much of a morning person,” Adam said.

“I can see that.” His eyes flicked over to Adam before focusing back on the road.

Adam had started to notice the covert and lingering glances Ronan gave him. Adam hated to admit that it was flattering, to know that all the times Adam had been trying to sneak glances of Ronan, _Ronan was already looking_.

(Adam was so used to _wanting_, it was nice to be wanted _back_)

They raced through the Virginian countryside, Ronan steady at the wheel. He started to slow as they approached the driveway to the Barns, like he was savoring the moment.

Adam, over the last eight months or so, had heard quite a lot about the Barns. It was mythologized by Ronan and Noah and Gansey; their descriptions gave Adam the impression that the Barns was made up of something that was nothing less than _magic_.

Adam realized, immediately, that they hadn’t been exaggerating. The lopsided farmhouse and the various barns looked like they had sprouted straight out of the rolling hills, one with sprawling Virginian countryside.

Adam’s breath caught in his throat as Ronan cruised up the drive, the BMW humming beneath them serenely. “Welcome to the Barns,” Ronan said reverently, like he was the one who was left breathless by the property. Adam looked over at Ronan, early morning light illuminating his sharp features. His icy blue eyes cut over to Adam, holding his gaze silently.

“Are we there yet?” Blue asked, voice thick with sleep. Adam jumped at the sound of her voice, turning back ahead. “Huh,” she said. “It’s beautiful.”

“Thanks, Maggot.” Ronan continued up the drive.

As they arrived at the house, Aurora Lynch met them outside, gold hair haloing her head in the morning light. She welcomed them inside, a breakfast spread laid out for them; eggs, toast, fresh butter, homemade jam, bowls of freshly picked fruit. Adam couldn’t hold himself back, piling a plate high with food.

Aurora took Blue on a tour of the Barns, taking her out the edge property while Adam and Ronan ventured out towards the far barns, stopping to greet the cows and chickens and sheep. Adam watched the way that Ronan interacted with the livestock, always with a gentle lilt to his voice, a careful hand. He was just so sure of himself around the animals, the humming beneath his skin _quiet_ for once.

Adam wanted to reach out for Ronan, to take his hand and bask in the warmth and tranquility he was bathing in. Adam wanted that. That security, that love, that _quiet_.

_Shit_.

It wasn’t just physical anymore (was it ever just physical? Was there any way to want Ronan Lynch without wanting _all_ of him?). The strange and disparate parts of Ronan Lynch had dug their way under Adam’s skin, taking root there. He was stained. He had made room for Ronan Lynch (in his mind, in his heart, in his _life_) and there was _no going back_.

_Shit_.

**Author's Note:**

> Again, no one asked for this shit. This entire fic was created around the fact that I wanted a scene where drunk Ronan comes by Adam's apartment and says "I got off at the wrong stop", but it got a little sadder than I planned. Oops?
> 
> Comments/Kudos are always greatly appreciated ♥︎
> 
> You can send me prompts (for this 'verse or anything really) [here.](https://andtimestoodstill.tumblr.com/ask)


End file.
